Mittsu no Kotoba
by Meiwa Chinmoku
Summary: Three words don't only mean 'I love you.' A series of one-shots connected to each other, showing a variety of three words that could lead to certain situations. Some may stand alone. COMPLETE.
1. What's Your Name?

**Meiwa Says: **It feels so great finally publishing a story here on ff! I've been trying to sort out documents in my laptop to see which ones would be good enough to post, but none of them seemed well-written enough. Okay, I've recently been searching for SasuHina fics and I've noticed that there is quite a number of them wherein 'three words' usually portray 'I love you', so I've decided to portray them much differently using this plot bunny in my head! Each chapter shows different time line, ages and situations, but the same adorable couple!

Um, okay, I'm not sure if the content is considered Sakura/Ino bashing, so yeah. I apologize for that and my lack of knowledge. Also, Sasuke may be a little...out of character in some parts, but he is one hell of a handful to write! Hopefully I portrayed him right as a kid...

**Disclaimer:** I don't own anything and everything that is related to Naruto. The only thing that's mine is this story. Deal. With. It.**  
**

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**Mittsu no Kotoba: What's Your Name?**  
_Meiwa Chinmoku._

"Sasuke-kuuun!" Sakura squeaked, her pink hair bouncing as she jogged towards him. He noticed the plastic bag she carried, inside, a bento box. "Okaa-san told me that you were here, so I brought you lunch! I hope you're hungry!"

He turned away from her as a sign of rejection. He hoped she got his message. "Go away."

"Aw, Sasuke-kun's so cute! You don't have to play hard to get!"

The dark-haired seven-year-old merely groaned, still trying to give her the message. "I told you to go away, Sakura."

At this, the pink haired girl grinned sadistically, opening the bento box she had brought with her. She shoved the contents of it in front of his face portraying her lack of skill in the culinary section. "Look, Sasuke-kun, I made your favorite!"

Whatever it was, he was sure they didn't even resemble anything close to food. "I don't want it."

"B-But…"

"Leave me alone."

A loud echoing voice caused the two to jump. Suddenly, an enraged looking blond stomped her way towards them, a look of death clear in her face. "Billboard Brow, get _away_ from _my_ Sasuke-kun!"

"_Your _Sasuke-kun?" Sakura gasped, jumping on her feet. Sasuke smirked as the bento box's contents spilled all over the grass. "I think _not_, Ino-pig! He's mine!"

The two continued to scream at each other, trying to look impressive in front of Sasuke. But the said boy merely shrugged in ignorance, knowing that this event happened too often for him to care. In that instant, Ino thought of a great idea that Sasuke actually agreed to…except for the part about winning him, of course.

"I know!" the blond exclaimed, punching her fist into her open palm. "Let's race to the Hokage tower! Whoever gets there first wins Sasuke-kun's heart!"

Sakura got into position, tightening her green headband. She glared and smiled at Ino and Sasuke respectively, snorting. "Get ready to lose, Ino-pig!"

"Okay, on our marks…" she yelled, causing the kids in the park to look. "Get set…" Ino and Sakura got on position, trying to push the other one down in an attempt at foul play. "GO!"

Finally seeing them disappear out of sight, Sasuke laid back on the grass, knowing that he should treasure the few moments of silence he had left. Ino and Sakura were constantly trying to claw at him

But somehow, today was not Sasuke's lucky day as an unexpected figure towered over him.

"U-Um…s-sorry for i-intruding, U-Uchiha-s-san…b-but why were S-Sakura-chan and Ino-chan f-fighting?"

Sasuke looked up to see the dark-haired girl, her lavender eyes looking straight through him. He could see a look of pure concern on her pale face. "Hn, I don't know. Go away and ask them."

"B-But it's n-n-never right to um…fight." She huffed, pouting. "I-I-I w-want t-to be great a n-ninja someday…but o-only because I want t-to help p-people…"

"Stop stuttering, it's pathetic."

"S-Sorry…"

"And stop apologizing. Onii-san says it's a sign of weakness."

At the last word, she sniffed. "I…um…I know…"

An awkward silence ensued. Neither of them bothered to talk, because neither of them knew _what_ to talk about. It seemed as if the girl was having a mental debate on what to do in front of the intimidating Uchiha. But at that, Sasuke's interest perked. "Hey, you."

"M-Me…?" she asked, pointing to herself.

He rolled her eyes at her naivety. "Yeah, you, who else could I be talking about? Whatever, never mind."

"S-Sorry…b-but…w-what was Uchiha-san g-going to t-t-tell me?"

"Why aren't you throwing yourself on me?"

She gulped, eyes widening. "Huh?"

"Every girl does that." Sasuke scoffed, irritated. "Okaa-san told me it was because all girls liked me. They call me cute and give me chocolates. It's annoying."

"U-Um…" she stammered, turning redder as she played with her kimono. "I…I b-believe I d-d-don't do t-that because I l-l-like someone e-else."

"Someone else…?" he asked, his brow rising in astonishment.

"H-H-Hai…"

She immediately started shooting out apologies, her blush spreading into larger amounts. Sasuke leaned back on the grass again and smirked, knowing that this girl wasn't half bad at all. Her stutter was annoying, and she was bordering between strange and beyond strange, but that wasn't something he couldn't fix. Besides, she was the only girl he was willing to start a friendship with – he never admitted that he wanted friends, because his onii-chan said they would only bring you down – since she was zero percent obsessed with him.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her forward, causing her to fall on her knees on the grass, right in front of the Uchiha boy. Her lavender eyes widened again as she muttered apologies, her face going red. "Hey, you."

"M-Me?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes at the feeling of déjà vu. "Yes, you!"

After he whispered a few words to her causing her to blush in embarrassment, she replied. As soon as he was content at finding out her true identity, Uchiha Mikoto and Hyuga Natsuai arrived and reluctantly pulled their offspring in opposite directions, not before greeting each other. Sasuke waved at his new friend before turning around and clutching his okaa-san's hand tighter, knowing that the three words he uttered back there would only remain within their minds. It was their secret, and would remain so for years into the future.

"_What's your name?"_

"_I-I'm Hinata…Hyuga H-Hinata."_

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**Meiwa Says:** Um, okay, now that I'm rereading it, it seems as if I rushed it. So I tried revising some parts, but they ended up messing the whole thing, so boo me. Anyways, I hope you have the time to leave a review! There are five succeeding chapters, all still connected with the whole concept of it. I hate flames and would appreciate constructive criticism.


	2. I Hate You!

**Meiwa Says: **Hello to everyone! I'm so glad you dropped by, I really appreciate it...but I'd appreciate it more if you'd leave a little comment for me to improve (not to boost my ego, lol) in the reviews section. Although I believe it's not proper to discontinue the story because of lack of reviews, it would be real nice to hear from the audience.

Um, okay. My comments on this one is that the first part isn't really significant to the whole plot of the chapter, so yeah. I just wanted to show that Hinata and Sasuke's friendship had progressed over the course of seven years. And I don't know what age Sasuke left the village, so let's leave it at that, 'kay?

I apologize for errors in the info here, but I based this on what I know and what I've read so far. They're still in the Academy, but all of them are genin already.

**Disclaimer:** I obviously don't own it. That's why it's called _fan_fiction. Fan, me? Fiction, not real?

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**Mittsu no Kotoba: I Hate You!**  
_Meiwa Chinmoku._

Hinata Hyuga was a terrible liar, and everyone knew that as if it were a fact.

But there were some times, just a countable number of times that she had managed to slip without anyone noticing. At some point, she'd have to put all her efforts into lying in order to save someone – or very, very, _very_ rarely, herself – from humiliation. It wasn't as if she had horrible intentions about it, no, quite the opposite. She usually had a good reason to, and this was one of it.

"No, I d-don't think S-Sasuke-kun's c-cute..."

As years progressed and so did her friendship with Sasuke, formalities were dropped and so was the stutter. Okay, Hinata would _again_ be lying if she claimed that her 'illness' – as Sasuke not so kindly categorized it – was entirely gone, but she _was_ improving since she was a child. The only reason she stammered was when she was nervous or on the brink of blacking out, which was quite uncommon nowadays.

Sakura seemed to have believed her, as the pink-haired kunoichi frolicked away, humming to herself a wedding march. Hinata could only imagine what was going through her mind.

Well, in truth, she had _sorta_ lied when she replied to Sakura. Of course, somewhere deep inside the shy heiress, she believed that Sasuke Uchiha was handsome, but that wasn't exactly the same as cute, so it meant that she hadn't totally lied to Sakura…right?

Ugh, what complications life could bring with simple questions. It irked her that she, among other girls, was the only one who really thought about who Sasuke really was inside. But she never voiced that out – she was Hinata, the kind, shy, dark weirdo.

"Hey, Hinata-chan." A loud voice pulled her out of her reverie. She turned her body to see Kiba, taking the once-empty chair beside her. "Good morning!"

"Good morning, K-Kiba-kun!"

The brunette chuckled and lay back on his chair, starting a story before being interrupted by something that sounded like a cross of a bark and a yelp. A head of white fur popped from underneath his coat, showing the hyperactive dog he always carried around. Akamaru jumped out of his owner's jacket and into Hinata's open arms.

"And good morning to you too, Akamaru-chan!" she cooed, as the dog cuddled in closer. "I'm so glad you've finally convinced Iruka-sensei to allow you to bring Akamaru-chan to the Academy."

Kiba immediately blushed and rubbed the back of his head, looking sheepish. "Heh, that's the thing, Hinata-chan…um…"

"Don't worry, I'll keep it a secret," replied the indigo-haired kunoichi, grinning innocently at the red Kiba.

The two laughed together, as if they had a deep secret that they shared. What they didn't know was that two red sharingan eyes were watching them with complete resentment.

...

"Sasuke-kun..." A green-haired Sasuke-girlfriend-wannabe approached him shyly, shoving a sample of her rice balls in his face. "Um…it would be a…a real honor if you'd eat this…and…"

He glared at her, "Hn."

Most girls knew what this meant. When Sasuke glared and gave his trademark 'hn', it meant that his patience was thin and that he didn't want anyone to come within an eight feet radius of where he was. Upon realizing the expression he gave to her, Aoko merely sniffed and ran away from him, crying as her friends tried to catch up to her.

Hinata watched, one-by-one, as Sasuke rejected all their proposals of offering him food. She could tell by his face that he was more than irritated, even more so than pissed. She didn't know why, and she really didn't know if she wanted to.

"Sasuke-kun, sorry I'm late but Gai-sensei had me do stuff for TenTen-chan! But now, here I am!" Sakura cheered, pushing down the container of food she had brought for two. She offered him some chopsticks, but he merely ignored her presence.

Her cheeks reddened as she gasped. "Oh I understand! You want me to feed you, huh, Sasuke-kun? Alrighty then, oooopen up!'

Sakura placed a piece of _korokke_ in between the chopsticks – well, Hinata could only guess what it really was – and opened her mouth, making cooing noises at the brooding man. Before she could react, Sasuke had already screeched his chair backwards and slammed his fists on his table, hoping that the pink-haired girl could understand the significance of his actions. The girls who were once planning to hand him some of their homemade sweets cowered back into their seats, feeling their confidence sink in.

Hinata blinked as he walked away from the classroom, and on instinct, she followed him.

She just hoped she was doing the right thing – not only for herself and Sakura, but for Sasuke as well.

...

Hearing footsteps trailing behind him further increased his anger. Sasuke Uchiha was known to be very temperamental, so it wasn't a surprise when he activated his famous sharingan and glared at the person following him. The last person he'd expect was Hinata.

"A-A-Ano…I-I-I…" she choked on her last words, leaving him in wonder to what she'd say. He dropped his kekkei genkai and continued to trudge away from the Academy building. "W-W-Wait, S-Sasuke-kun!"

"Who gave you permission to call me that?" he grumbled loudly, causing her to wince in fear.

"A-Ano..._y-you_ did," she pointed out, clashing the tips of her index fingers together. "B-But i-i-if you don't l-like it…I could…ano…I could c-call you U-U-Uchiha-san…"

"Stop stuttering!" he commanded without much thought of what he was doing.

He then found himself pinning her to the tree, her fearful eyes casting a look she had never given him before. Sasuke then clenched his fists, trying to calm his temper. For all the years he had been with Hinata, he swore to himself that he'd protect her, but ever since the _incident _happened, he wasn't so sure he could keep up with his promise.

"I…I'm s-sorry…" Hinata whispered, wincing as she stuttered out the last word.

"What_ is it_ that you want from me?" he hissed, unable to control his temper. Hinata gulped and turned her head away, casting her gaze elsewhere. Her intentions were not to aggravate him further, but to have a nice chat with him like they used to. She couldn't understand what changed that, and she found herself admitting that she missed the old Sasuke.

"N-N-Nothing…"

Sasuke clenched his teeth. "Then get the hell out of here!"

"Hey, Teme, let go of Hinata-chan!"

Both teens turned their heads to see Naruto with fire in his eyes. He showed many emotions that moment – ranging from concern to anger and so on. Hinata shivered as her shoulders eased up, Sasuke fully turning his attention to the blond container. "Get out, Dobe; this isn't any of your business."

"Oh yes it is!" Naruto growled, fixing his eyes squarely at the scene before him. "I see you trying to scare Hinata-chan, and I won't let that happen!"

"What are you gonna do? _Fight me_?"

The blue-eyed boy eyed Hinata carefully, noticing how apprehension plagued her features. He had seen her face abuse over the years; whether from Hiashi or Neji, and he didn't believe that anyone should face such pain. Naruto understood that she was guarded because of this emotional trauma. "If it takes beating you up to leave her alone, then so be it! I will kick your ass, _dattebayo_!"

Sasuke then activated his sharingan and Naruto quickly started making hand signs for his Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. The blue-haired heiress suddenly processed what was going on, and instantly got in between the two, despite her shaking legs.

"N-No, please, Naruto-kun, s-s-stop!"

"Get out of my way." Sasuke sneered, but she tried to ignore it.

Naruto blinked at her with owlish eyes. "Hinata-chan, you gotta understand! I need to fight Teme to –"

"It's n-n-never right to fight!" She yelled, closing her eyes. "T-That's why we're n-ninjas, so we c-can help p-people!"

_"B-But it's n-n-never right to um…fight." She huffed, pouting. "I-I-I w-want t-to be a great n-ninja someday…but o-only because I want t-to help p-people…"_

At that moment, Sasuke Uchiha dropped his sharingan and watched as tears streamed down the young kunoichi's cheeks. Naruto muttered many apologies as he dismissed his clones, looking apologetic and rueful at the same time. Upon noticing the lack of battle cries and occupants, she raised her lavender eyes to look at them in gratitude, wiping away her tears. "A-A-Arigatou…"

"Take this as a warning, Hyuga." Sasuke glowered at her with much intensity in his eyes. "You will never, in under any circumstances, speak to me or communicate with me."

Hinata didn't know what to say to him, or in much clearer terms, how to react. She was used to his scary and desolate demeanor, but she knew that deep inside Sasuke was still the little boy who was trying to put up a façade in front of everyone. Not having the ability to search for the right words, the blue-haired kunoichi purely stammered out, "W-W-Why U-Uchiha-san?"

And he said three words, three words that had really affected her to her very core– three words that would probably haunt her for the rest of her life…three words that she'd never forget. "_I hate you._"

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**Meiwa Says: **I don't know if they didn't allow Akamaru in the Academy, but yeah. I'm sorry for Sakura fans that I made her one of the annoying b**ches here, but she fit the story quite nicely. I probably won't be having Sakura-bashing anytime soon, so don't worry. Oh yeah, in the last chapter, I made the arrangements of the name like surname then given name. I decided to change it in this chapter for reasons I can't explain.

I would also love to acknowledge: cheralypse, kikizoey & lover9 for placing Mittsu no Kotoba in their favorites! Arigatou gozaimasu!

cheralypse: Thank you so much for leaving a review! I appreciate what you said and the effort. :) Also, I hope you find this equally-interesting as the first one!

lover9: Thank you! Hope you find this chapter to your liking!

Korokke - Japanese Croquettes.


	3. I've Always Cared

**Meiwa Says:** Hey guys! I'm so so so so sorry I haven't updated in 2 weeks! I've been so busy with life (particularly drama) that there wasn't time to finish this. Hinata is eighteen here, and Sasuke is nineteen. Hiashi might seem a little harsh now (especially considering the fact that Hinata is more confident and stronger,) but then bear in mind that he's comparing her to his wife, and that he, once again, starts beating her for her weakness. I know it's not clear, but please bear with me for the meantime.

_Notes: Honestly, I'm not very satisfied with the ending, and it didn't portray what I planned for it. And also, somewhere in the middle I just...I lost their characters. Hinata and Sasuke both became OOC. But I guess every writer has her day, huh? Well, I'll try to finish the next chapter as soon as I can! I promise it gets fluffier and fluffier._

**Warning: **Some OOC up ahead, but I couldn't resist giving Hinata a little more - as Hinata-er said - backbone, and I made her into a jounin. I realized that even Sasuke has some soft points, in which I portrayed in this chapter! Hope you like it either way. And I'm sure the fight scene (with all the techniques and whatnot) is all messed up - gomenasai for that!_  
_

**Disclaimer: **Wouldn't be writing this if I owned it. Apparently, I am writing it...and sadly, I don't own Naruto and any of its characters.

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**Mittsu no Kotoba: I've Always Cared.**  
_Meiwa Chinmoku._

Focusing all the chakra she had in her system to the heels of her foot, Hinata ran away from the Hyuga compound gates. Her eyes were clouded with tears, and her arms, covered in bruises. It was a surprise that she, yet again, survived the daily beatings she received from her father. He claimed that her medical ninjutsu had not surpassed her mother's, and that she had disappointed him once again.

_It wasn't fair_, Hanabi always reminded her. The younger Hyuga would always claim that Hinata's medical abilities surpassed even the Hokage's apprentice, Sakura Haruno, and that it was unjust for her father to still be angry with her. Hinata appreciated that her sister was siding with her, but she had already accepted the fact that her father and the Hyuga family expected more from her than anyone, and it didn't matter if she had outdone most of the medical-nins out there. Nothing was ever good enough for her father.

She really didn't know where she was going; she hadn't thought of what she was going to do. Hinata knew that it would merely be a blow in her pride if she'd come back, begging her father to let her stay. The heiress knew her father had informed the guards and Hyuga members to watch out for any signs of her. He had even restricted Neji and Hanabi not to follow her, saying that it would be a burden and that she would come back anyways.

To Hinata, the bruises, cuts and wounds were nothing she couldn't heal. She was a ninja of jounin rank, and she was used to the tough missions and injuries she received from them. What really hurt was the knowledge that she wasn't good enough for anyone – not good enough to be the Hokage's apprentice, not good enough for Naruto to notice her and _certainly _not good enough to be one of Konoha's most prestigious clan's head. It hurt to think that Neji didn't defy Hiashi like he did nowadays to follow her, and that he agreed with her father.

Her thoughts were suddenly cut short, as an unfamiliar chakra signature wafted through the area like it had belonged there. Tensing up, Hinata wiped her eyes and brought out a kunai, chanting, "Byakugan!" instantaneously activating her bloodline limit.

"I know you're out there!" Hinata yelled, swiftly turning around at the feeling of being watched. She made a mental note to thank Kiba who helped her improve her confidence and erase her stutters. As a ninja, it was downright embarrassing. "Show yourself, coward!"

It didn't occur to her that the person _might just _reply. "Hn. It seems as if I'd missed a lot."

Sasuke Uchiha, the last person she'd ever expect to see on such a cold day. He had returned a little over two years ago, but had been under strict probation and wasn't allowed to leave his cellar without bringing two ANBU guards with him. At first, Tsunade insisted that he was to have at least _ten _ninjas scouting his every move – due to his impeccable skills – but he threatened her to burn the entire village down when she'd least expect it. The irate Hokage accepted.

"Sa…er, Uchiha-san…it's nice to finally see you in person." She replied, deactivating her Byakugan and keeping her kunai in her pouch. Suddenly, a shuriken whizzed past her cheek, grazing her porcelain skin ever so slightly. Hinata gasped as she suddenly fell onto the ground, being pinned down by Sasuke.

_What was he trying to do?_

"You're still pathetic." Sasuke snorted, narrowing his eyes at her to get a better look. Hinata merely cowered underneath his dark gaze, flinching at the last word of his sentence.

"…I know…"

For a moment, something flickered in his depthless eyes. An emotion in which Hinata had never encountered before – well, not in an Uchiha anyway. "Hm…weak, pathetic, useless and _still _a coward. You haven't changed, have you, Hyuga?"

"I…I um–"

"Fight me."

"W-What?" she gasped, her eyes widening fearfully at him. She couldn't beat him even _before_ he went to Orochimaru for power, and now, he wants her to fight him? Is he _that_ deranged?

Sasuke got on two feet and sped back, waiting for the heiress to rise on her feet. Although she didn't know what to do – standing up and preparing herself for defense would only mean that she was accepting the fight…but there was no way that she'd lie on the ground, being watched by such an intimidating person.

So Hinata, collecting all her courage, stood up and set up her Jyuken stance. "Byakugan!" she called her kekkei genkai, as Sasuke did the same.

That started the spar. At first, Hinata summoned two clones, but Sasuke had countered her by sending out three clones to fight off hers. He was originally confused when three Hinatas 'poofed' away after effortlessly getting defeated by his clones, but then realized that the real one was not in sight and used a diversion. Before he knew it, a kunai hurtled past his cheek, barely missing his face.

"Shit."

"Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Thirty-Two Palms!" Out of nowhere, she appeared and had prepared for one of the most effective jutsus she had mastered. But Sasuke had already predicted her actions, as he effortlessly stepped aside and away from her path. At the sudden movement, Hinata's palm smashed on the ground, causing debris to fly around.

Sasuke was about to throw another kunai at her, when she gracefully spun around, even with her fist on the ground, and started to shoot out chakra from her free hand. The fragments that were floating in mid-air were suddenly directed towards him, as if an uneven force was controlling them. Sasuke could not be any more impressed.

The fight continued on for what may say days, but it had only been roughly two hours. From time to time, the Hyuga would gain the upper hand – but Sasuke was merely going easy on her, to see her capabilities – but then the Uchiha would counter with something equally effective, and if not, more effective than her attacks.

Hinata had felt her heart constrict with the tension and stress that was building inside of her. The horrible memories of Neji brutally beating her during the chuunin exams all came rushing back into her brain, something she could not willingly fight off. The pain of having publicly known her cousin despised her had already disappeared – Neji is now playing the role of overprotective cousin – but the physical pain she endured had not deteriorated, even for the slightest bit.

Sasuke noticed the falter in her feet and unsurprisingly knew he won. He knew from the start that he would be the victor, but he had just wanted to observe the Hyuga. But with his keen sense of sight, something was amiss.

Although her coughing had greatly ceased, she was still hunched down. From his point-of-view, it seemed like she was…talking to herself. Realizing that this was actually very strange, Sasuke approached with an air of fidelity and asked, "What are you doing, Hyuga?"

He couldn't be more surprised at her grumpy disposition.

"Are you now happy, Uchiha-san?" Hinata replied, shooting him daggers with her glare. "I've lost. I have now been more shameful to the Hyuga clan than I already was."

"Hn, what's your point?"

"My point is that I'm _weak_! _Everyone _knows it…even…even Naruto-kun…" she trailed off a little sadly.

_Ah_, Sasuke thought wearily, crossing his arms over his toned chest. As a little boy, Sasuke was taught well by his mother. His mother was the total opposite of his father – she was compassionate, and made sure that her two boys were not only perfect in terms of skills and intelligence, but also with their values. Even until now, Sasuke thought that the things she taught them were _bull_, but – although sappy and disgusting in his dictionary – very helpful when it came to others.

Sasuke smirked at Hinata, who was trying hard not to shed her ungodly tears. "You're wrong."

"W-What?" Hinata threw her head upwards, looking at him with questioning eyes. For a moment, she had opened her cage, but then realization came into her mind and she closed all of her doors again. "I…I know I'm more than that…I'm…I'm pathetic…"

"The mere fact that you lost shows weakness in terms of skills," Sasuke actually thought Hinata looked better scowling at him than crying. "But it does not mean that you _are_ weak."

_An Uchiha was always confusing_, Hinata remembered Hiashi telling her. Remembering her father and her initial mission when she came out here, her features gradually darkened.

"Looking for power will never make you stronger, Hyuga…especially if you look in the wrong places."

Her left brow twitched as he mentioned the atrocious deed she was supposed to commit, before he stepped in the way and prevented her from doing so. She was angry with him for stopping her, but deep down inside, she felt a twinge of regret herself. "…What do _you _know?"

"Hyuga." Sasuke snorted in amusement, rolling his eyes at her. "I have been with Orochimaru for three years, struggling for power to kill Itachi. It seemed all useless in the end, and it will be too…for you."

He had always astonished her – in more ways than one. As kids, he astonished her by showing his heightened amount of skill and accuracy, whereas she couldn't activate her Byakugan until the tender age of six. Whilst growing up, he surprised her with his aloofness and unwillingness to make friends with everybody. And now, he utterly shocked her by showing signs of kindness.

Without even realizing she had said her banter aloud, Hinata murmured in a heartrending voice, "Why are you saying these things? You don't…you don't care."

Hinata heard him chuckle. Sasuke was the most unpredictable boy she had ever met. "I don't know how many times you're going to be wrong today, Hyuga."

And he left. But Hinata Hyuga still couldn't move, because his last words literally made her stop in her tracks.

"I've always cared."

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**Meiwa Says: **I hope you got it. Natsuai (which is Hinata's mom.) was one of the topic medic-nins until she died, and Hiashi wanted his daughter to learn medical ninjutsu. Hinata did, but since Hiashi compared her to his wife, she was called a weakling, and the rest is self-explanatory. Also, I know last chapter he said that he hated her, but that will all be explained in the next chapter! Hope you guys review! I hate flames, but love constructive criticism.

**fat cherries: **Sorry I couldn't update asap, like you wanted me to. :) And I'm so happy your curiosity is piqued! Another achievement, yea!

**lover9: **Thanks again for your review! Sasuke is very attractive when he's jealous, and I love him too! I hope you like this chapter!

**Hinata-er:** I guess I tried to hard to make her in-character that she became too weak, huh? Haha. Sorry 'bout that! And the reason why Sasuke hates Hinata is...well, you'll find out soon enough. :) And don't worry. I gave Hinata a lot (maybe too much) backbone here. But, hey, she's eighteen! She should have a spine already, lol.

**Darkangl28:** Yup, totally agreed. But I hope I didn't make Sasuke too OOC here. O.o It's so hard trying to make him nice. It's almost like making Hinata mean. Aw. Thanks for putting this in your alerts list! It gives me more drive to write!

Thanks to to **lavlilac **and **fat cherries** for adding MnK to their favorites, and **Darkangl28, fat cherries, LishaVilla, lover9 and Sana N** for adding this fic to their alerts list! This chapter is dedicated to you guys!


	4. I Love You

**Meiwa Says:** Wow, I just...wow. I didn't expect to get so much positive responses for the last chapter! Honestly, I wasn't satisfied with the development and had been very doubtful to post it. Thanks so much to everyone who reviewed! It really was a joy when I got e-mails about it. Arigatou gozaimasu! Um, okay. This event happened precisely five months after the last chapter. When Hinata came back to Konoha, Hiashi had assigned her to the Hokage for training sessions, in which Tsunade agreed to. In the later parts, Hinata mentions something about a mission. So here's how it goes:

Tsunade sent them to a mission to a small, neighboring village where Sasuke trailed after them. And yeah, that's basically what you need to know...for now. In case you still don't understand, explanations will be at the bottom.

_Notes: Meh. It seems as if the writing spirit in me is slowly dying. Lol, just kidding! Of course it's still there. Why else would I be writing? Anyways, this chapter seems a bit...off. It's confusing in so many parts, so I'm sorry for that! Also, I'm sorry for making Hinata a bit OOC here. I hope that I also pinpointed Sasuke correctly, but I think the last line would make him sorta OOC. Lol._

**Disclaimer: **If I owned Naruto, it wouldn't be as awesome as it is now. So no, I don't own Naruto or any of its characters mentioned in MnK.

* * *

**Mittsu no Kotoba: I Love You!**  
_Meiwa Chinmoku._

Things in Konoha had been relatively pleasant.

There were rumors spreading around town stating that Hinata Hyuga was _finally_ perceived to be worthy enough for the title of clan head. After five months of rough training with the Hokage, Hiashi believed that Hinata was definitely strong and confident enough to take his role as the clan head. At first, The Hyuga Elders were reluctant to hand her back her title, seeing Hanabi fit to be the rightful heir, but then defying Hiashi would be unwise.

"Hey, Hina-chan!" An over-energetic voice echoed through the street. The kunoichi flipped her head back, turning to see Naruto panting as he leaned over his knees. "Wanna - get some ramen - with me?"

Upon hearing his request, the heiress merely smiled, knowing that her infatuation with him had switched into strong friendship. "Of course, Naruto-kun, it would be a great honor."

Naruto grinned from ear-to-ear at her approval, and grabbed her small, pale hand to drag her to his favorite place - to the ramen stand.

...

She slapped a hand to her forehead, feeling her irritation grow as seconds passed. Across her table, Sasuke Uchiha sat with an amused smirk and crossed arms, waiting for the Hokage's verdict. If it not had been for the brutally-injured man sitting on one of the wall's sides, Sasuke could've just bolted out the door without any care.

"Sasuke," Tsunade growled as she glared at the man looking perversely at her. "Can you please tell me…_HOW THE HELL THIS HAPPENED_?"

"Hn. Ask him."

While she turned to face the man, he only smiled sadistically at her, winking his right eye. The blond shuddered and prevented herself from injuring him further. "I will not tolerate this nonsense, Uchiha. Have you forgotten you're under strict probation? If you've done anything to harm the citizens, you could be –"

"Hn. I know, and frankly, I don't care."

Tsunade rubbed her temple with her fingers and sighed. Today had been tranquil at first – she managed to sneak in Kami-knows-how-many-bottles of sake this morning without Shizune spotting her – and all had been well, until she received a notice from one of the ANBU guarding Sasuke. Apparently, he had gotten into a fist-fight with a man in neighboring village, for reasons still unknown. Sasuke and his predictability were annoying.

"Explain to me," she commanded with a threatening tone, this time directing her anger towards the perverted man. "How this came to be?"

The man grinned, showing his incomplete set of teeth. "I dunno. I was just minding my own business, doing my," the man chuckled "sight-seeing."

At his words, Sasuke lunged forward and proceeded to punch out the man's remaining molars. Why Tsunade hadn't jumped up when she had the chance – only she'd know.

...

"Oh my…"

Hinata gasped, causing Naruto to turn around with a questioning glance, noodles hanging limply from his mouth. But when he saw the sight of practically ten ANBU ninjas guarding an individual, the noodles fell into his bowl, disgusting the people who were looking.

"Who could that be?" the blond asked naively. "…Eh, must be someone really important."

The blue-haired kunoichi shook her head and blinked. "That's Uchiha-san, Naruto-kun. It seems as if he has gotten into trouble once again."

_Brain processing…_

"_Oh! _Hey, Teme!"

From the slits created by the spaces of the ANBU, Sasuke twisted his head upon hearing the Dobe speak. He stopped, and so did the ANBU. One of them immediately spoke, "Uchiha, there a delay?"

Sasuke was about to shake his head when his eyes landed on a distressed-looking Hinata. She met his eyes, for the first time in quite a while, and he felt something bolt inside of him. He cursed himself.

"Uchiha-san," her gentle voice resonated in his ears. She jumped down from her stool and approached him. The ANBU guards spotted the heiress and kept their eyes and ears open. "Is...Is everything alright?"

He dismissively waved his hand. "Hn. Fine."

"You seem a little... distraught."

Without hearing his reply, Hinata placed her hand into his cheek, which was suddenly growing warm. He couldn't feel himself breathe. "_H-Hyuga_, what are you doing?"

"I'm checking you out, silly," she whispered, oblivious to what she had said. "Tsunade-sama told me that if you place your palm over a person's cheek like this, you can feel their emotion through their chakra. But it's only a myth, I'm just checking if it really is effective."

Sasuke had never blushed in his whole life – well, maybe he had once or twice, but never were they caused by girls. He knew she had transformed immensely from the stuttering girl everyone once knew, but never had he known that she was this forward. Not that he was implying anything was happening, of course.

And also oblivious to his thoughts was none other than Naruto. "Hey Teme, you're lookin' a little red."

"Hn," Sasuke replied, swatting away the hand caressing his cheek. "None of your business, idiot"

He was about to bid the Hyuga goodbye, when he mentally slapped himself from thinking such repulsive thoughts. Hinata softened him – maybe a little _too much_ for his liking. And he was sure if he continued on like this, he'd be softer than her. He couldn't have that. So, placing his pride in front of his emotions, Sasuke turned around to stride back to the Uchiha Manor. He hoped that she would just leave him alone.

But little he did know that she really wasn't the same little girl anymore.

...

"Uchiha-san?"

The little, squeaking voice that interrupted his training stopped him in his tracks. Grumbling with impatience, Sasuke whirled around to meet bright, nervous eyes. She was holding a basket of newly-picked tomatoes that looked so delicious he could hear his stomach growling. "Hn. What?"

"I heard from Sakura-chan that you were here," Hinata replied, and he could visibly see her gulping. "And she told me that you've been training for five hours straight…"

"Hn."

She lifted the basket and took a deep breath, "So I brought you these! I know you don't like sweets so I gave the batch of cookies I made to Naruto-kun and I picked these out of our garden instead and I –"

"Shut up, Hyuga."

At this, Sasuke sat down on the grass next to the stream, waiting for her to approach. As she did, she looked troubled and obviously had something in her mind. He really didn't know if he cared or not. He hoped it wasn't the former.

Hinata plopped down next to him, taking a piece of tomato and offering it to him. With a thankful nod, he accepted it and bit down, feeling the juice slowly cascade to his chin. It wasn't particularly sweet – which was one thing he was grateful for – but it was undeniable tasty.

Breaking the long, serene silence, Hinata murmured in an undertone, "I wanted to…to talk to you about some things."

"Hn."

"I…I heard from Tsunade-sama about what happened," Sasuke immediately stopped biting on his second tomato, and blinked at her. "I don't understand why you would –"

"Haven't I said it before?"

_Of course_ he was referring to the episode that happened a little over five months ago. She was about to leave Konoha in search for power, when he stood in her way and told her _three little words_ that made her heart thump. _'I've always cared' _ricocheted through her mind like a mantra, and she needed to get it out of her system as soon as possible.

"But still…you'd risk that much…for me?"

"Stop it."

Hinata's eyes flickered. "Stop what?"

"Stop acting like this is some sort of cliché movie." He scolded. "Because it's not."

"..."

"Look, Hyuga," Sasuke sighed, picking off the leaf on the red fruit. "Stop beating around the bush. I'm waiting."

Hinata gripped the cloth of her pants and took a deep breath. "I just…I _knew _that man was staring at me inappropriately…and so did Neji-nii-san. We were both on a mission."

"And you didn't care."

"I…I did, but I couldn't." she replied, with a sad pout. "Our mission was to retrieve this important scroll from one of the villagers. It had been relatively short, since Tsunade-sama only revealed it to us minutes before we started. If…If either Neji-nii-san or I had started a commotion…our covers would be blown, and…the man's men would probably attack us."

Sasuke raised his brow. "Where are you going with this?"

"It's just been bothering me…you've managed to lose control before Neji-nii-san…and even if you didn't know it was a mission…it was still rather…strange."

"Hn." He answered, turning his head away.

"I'm just so…perplexed…I know…I know you care about me…but what you did…it was very…" she stopped mid-sentence, seemingly unable to complete it. Instead, she continued on, saying, "And it confuses me…why you were trailing us…"

Astonished by her words, Sasuke couldn't reply. He knew that Hinata knew that he was in the same village as her – obviously. He couldn't have caused the uproar if he hadn't seen _it_. But how had she known that he was following them, instead of coming up with the conclusion that he had been on a mission as well? Although Tsunade only allowed D-rank missions for the time being, she could still send him to other places, but with supervision. Too bad the ANBU weren't fast enough to catch him. "I…I was assigned to watch over you." He lied.

"No you weren't," Hinata countered. "I talked to Tsunade-sama about this matter…very thoroughly, I might add."

He then rolled his eyes. "Then why the questions?"

"I just wanted to…confirm it." He saw her hesitation, and instantly knew that she was hiding something.

"What's the real reason?"

"S-Sasuke-kun," she suddenly said, surprising him by addressing him with his given name. Ever since the incident when they were thirteen, Hinata only called him 'Uchiha-san', even when she was merely talking to others. This was a certain development. "…I'm very, very confused."

"Hn. If you continue on like this, so will I."

"No, you don't understand. I'm…I'm confused with…with how I feel."

At this, Hinata got on two feet and bit her lower lip, ready to bolt in case her nerves vanished. Unfortunately or fortunately for her, they did not, and forever remained mocking her existence. It had been bothering her immensely, almost to the point where she was on the brink of a mental breakdown. But somehow, Ino managed to talk to her about it, and she had finally decided to voice them out.

Sasuke also got up, after finished the fifth and last tomato in the basket, and leaned on the tree, waiting or her words. What could he expect from the unpredictable Hyuga? He was sure she'd entertain him.

The Avenger rumbled, his eyes locking with her own. "Get on with it. You're wasting my time."

"I…you see…Uchiha-san." Great, now they were back to square one. "I've…I've been wondering about what I was feeling…when…when I'm around you." She blushed as she said these words. Still, he did not understand. "You've…you've changed since I first met you but still kept your…endearing qualities, which is what I…I admire about you. So…"

"Hyuga, I don't need to hear your praises."

"Oh!" Hinata squeaked, noticing that she had rambled. "I…I'm sorry!

"…And…and ever since you told me you cared about me…I've been experiencing strange things…and I want to tell you why…"

_Kami, when is she ever going to finish? Honestly, Hyuga gets irritating at times, even when she doesn't mean to. I better not tell her that because I –_

"I love you!"

He thanked Kami for his immaculate skill of balance, or he'd have fallen to the ground. Was it a lie to say that he wasn't expecting that? Or was it true that he, somehow, didn't think she was capable of such words? He had always seen her eye Naruto – and honestly, it irritated him – which led to him wondering if he felt anything for her. But Sasuke already concluded that it was stronger than infatuation, yet not even close to love.

He has had millions of girls confess their love to him – sometimes using letters and sometimes, face-to-face. Sasuke blankly rejected each and every one of them, somehow knowing that their so-called 'love' was merely a dream, a fantasy. But Hinata had never, ever, _ever _been a fan-girl of his. She preferred gawking over Naruto and his little, prissy, annoying attitude.

What was he supposed to do? He had never really had a girl confess to him, while he was feeling something rather... _weak _for her in return. So instead, Sasuke, unable to decipher a proper response to her confession, turned around and bolted out of the woods.

It was a pity that he hadn't seen the way she helplessly crumpled to the ground, sobbing.

"_I'm sorry...Hinata-san."_

* * *

**Meiwa Says: **That was probably the fluffiest scene I have ever written...and I don't think I like it that much. But anywho, Sasuke is still in denial with his feelings, while Hinata has...well, sorted them out - in one way or another. I probably got some information here wrong, so yeah. Sorry 'bout that. Also, in the 'I'm checking you out' part, Hinata's innocence causes her to be dense about flirting or whatever. :) I made that thing up, and as idiotic as it sounds, it fits the mood perfectly. Now, replies:

**evilbananalol:** Yep! Even the wildest of people can be tamed. Oh. I was mentally debating if I should do an 'I love you' because it sounded so predictable, but then I thought it would totally fit the plan. I hope you still like this chapter, though!

**fat cherries:** Uhuh, Sasuke Uchiha is now warm! lol. Haha. Thanks so much for your loyalty and review! I wish there's an 'Add Reviewer to Favorites' button. Lol! Well, Hinata's response isn't really in words, but more like in actions, if you know what I mean. I know five months is pretty long to have some sort of self-reflection, but I didn't want it to be three months or less. Haha.

**lover9:** Thanks so much! It's a comfort to know that Sasuke was just in-character last chapter. Hope you like this one!

**tatoo26:** Thank you, tatoo! Enjoy this one, and probably 2-3 more to come. ;)

**DarkHinata91:** Thanks! I hope it gets better. ;)

WORD COUNT: Coool! First chap to have **2k words** w/o Meiwa's Notes!


	5. I Need You

**Meiwa Says:** Again, I have to apologize for my slow updates and whatnot. I feel so bad now, especially since the alert's list has gone up. Oh yeah, this chapter's inspiration was from Lady Antebellum's song: Need You Now.

_Note(s):_ Hm. The first part, again, is not so significant, but my original plot was based on this sentence:_ They say that before you die, your life flashes right before your eyes, _but it wouldn't fit the mood of the rest of the chapters. Alright, just for your information, this is going to be the second-to-the-last chapter of MnK! The last one is going to be: 'I love you' again, and things are going to be cleared up. Such as questions from chapter two, why does Sasuke hate Hinata? And so on.

**Warning(s):** Mentioned one-sided KibaHina. Definite OOC and swearing. A lot of it...I think.

**Dedication:** This chapter is dedicated to tatoo26, who figured out the next chapter before I even gave out hints! Oh, kudos to you! And of course, I also dedicate this to the people who added this fic in their alert's and favorites list & the people who were kind enough to review.

**Disclaimer: **I would've been rich. Sadly, I'm broke.

* * *

**Mittsu no Kotoba: I Need You.**  
_Meiwa Chinmoku._

There were moments in which Hinata Hyuga could remember where she thought that her life was slipping right out of her fingertips. She was a high-skilled ninja, and although at the top of her game, being an assassin was a fragile job, and death was unpredictable.

She had lived through the pains her father had brought upon her. She had lived through the pains of being called _weird_ or _weak_ or even _useless_. But none of those mattered to her anymore because she was happy where she was – the proud heir of the Hyuga family, ninja of Jounin rank and top medic at the hospital. In fact, Hinata was _more _than content with what she had and what she had made of herself, but she knew that death could take everything she worked so hard for… but yet, she wasn't afraid.

But what she _was_ afraid of losing was herself.

Would people still remember her even after her death? Would she keep a legacy in which the members of Rookie Nine would continue? Would they even recall the times she put out her way to help them?

Hinata knew that the Rookie Nine were compassionate, and loved each and every one of the team. But she was overshadowed by most of them – her skills as a medic-nin incomparable to Tsunade's, her jutsus not strong enough like Neji's, her taijutsu weaker than Lee's, and her attitude not bright enough like Sakura's or Ino's. Even her confidence, which had greatly improved over the years, could not even reach halfway of Naruto's.

Sometimes she wondered if she really had changed; if there really was progress within her. But she kept all these thoughts to herself, knowing that her team would not be pleased at her doubts.

"Have you been listening to me?" a gruff voice entered her ears. Hinata turned her hazy eyes to see Sasuke Uchiha, in all his handsome glory, snarling at her like he had when they were thirteen. It was like he hadn't even remembered her confession.

She shook her head, abashed at her answer. "Ano…gomen... but I was... distracted."

"Scared of the mission, Hyuga?" he taunted. But she could hear the genuineness of his question. "Or are you scared to die?"

Hinata had never heard him speak so much in one sentence. "Neither. I'm just…it's nothing."

Sasuke snorted in amusement, jumping to another tree as he snuck a glance at her. The way she was acting was rather strange – it was as if she had all her walls up again. He knew it was because of her confession and what one could call 'rejection'. But he hadn't meant to leave her hanging without an answer – in all honesty; he didn't even know what to say. He couldn't tell her he felt the same – not then, he still need some 'reflective time' to sort out his thoughts – nor could he say that he didn't. This was one of the reasons why Sasuke Uchiha never bothered himself with love. It was all too mystifying.

"I sense someone." Shino spoke suddenly, alerting the two of his presence. They had forgotten about him.

"Is it…is it…_them?" _Hinata asked, gulping as she activated her Byakugan. Her weary eyes darted back and forth in search for the somewhat-familiar and dangerous chakra signatures. She knew perfection in this mission was critical – or she could only hope Konoha be spared.

Shino adjusted his glasses, whispering to one of his bug-minions. "I believe so."

"Well what are we waiting for?" Ino suddenly spoke up. "Let's get moving!"

**…**

Kunais were thrown. Jutsus were performed. Blood was shed.

This all happened in just a few minutes, in front of Hinata Hyuga's very eyes. She had seen people be killed – hell, she had even killed to save their lives; it was their life as a ninja. But never had she seen such skill, such power emanating from all of the contenders.

Their mission, at first, was to retrieve a hidden scroll from the Land of Sand. It had been a breeze, Tsunade sending out her most trusted troops who had been willing to go to a low-classed mission. But peace was not on their side, as they found out that another set of ninjas were after the scroll in their possession, which held the secrets of jutsus that were meant to be buried for all eternity. It was a pity they accidentally got the wrong scroll.

Upon hearing this from a messenger bird, Tsunade immediately sent back a note and informed them of the danger they could face, and pushed the mission from being C-rank, to A-rank.

Narrowly avoiding a kunai thrown in her direction, Hinata felt the need to raise the bar. Thankfully, killing half of the fifty ninjas had been easy, but the other half was as stubborn as Naruto.

"Chakra Needle Technique!" Hinata chanted, propelling the chakra in her hands towards the enemies. Thanks to her Byakugan and excellent chakra control, their chances of missing the attack were slim.

Taking a quick survey at her teammates, she had realized that about more than half of the fifty were dead. She was glad to see her teammates unscathed like she, but they weren't finished.

No sigh of relief can be made yet.

**...**

Everything went in slow motion.

The battle continued on for hours, ostensibly endless. But as Sasuke was observing the fight, his opponents dead on the floor, he could see that one was trying to escape. Quickly, he followed him, leaving the group behind.

He threw kunais, performed his fireball technique and even tried some of the new jutsus Kakashi recently taught him. It was hard to think that all of these attacks seemed useless at the moment, as the enemy continued to run away from the scene.

The two reached a clearing, giving Sasuke time to activate his Sharingan. "Give up."

The blue-haired shinobi was shocked as the ninja's skin started to melt. Suddenly, his body was transforming and his eyes turned blood red. After a few seconds, he found himself pinned to a tree, Itachi Uchiha threateningly clutching onto his throat. The younger Uchiha's eyes widened.

"Hello, otouto," Itachi snorted at the name, holding up a kunai in his free arm. Sasuke helplessly choked. "Long time no see."

He tried to release himself from his brother's grasp. He had been training for so many years and given the opportunity, he wouldn't let his strength go to waste. But it seemed as if he wasn't ready for the surprise assault. He couldn't even perform any of his jutsus.

Although, despite the fact that he was nearing his demise, Sasuke managed to choke out, "F-Fuck you…"

When all hope seemed lost a loud cry of "Shukuken!" reverberated in the area.

In that instant, everything seemed like a blur. Hinata burst through the leaves, creating hand signs for her Shukuken. But Itachi had already anticipated her appearance, as he turned around and thrust his own hands into the air, creating an invisible force that sent Hinata tumbling towards the tree, choking up blood. As all of this happened, Sasuke was still suffocating from lack of air.

"Hm," Itachi grunted. "Reinforcements?"

Sasuke was suddenly blinded by rage and fury, seeing Hinata gasping for air, her mouth covered in blood. It was not a surprise that she had fallen after the first strike – Kami knows how much chakra she wasted in killing their enemies and healing her teammates at the same time. Not only that, but her wounds during the chuunin exams were not exactly healed, and too much stress in her chest area can cause internal damage – which was what Itachi did.

He couldn't forgive his brother. He never could. The bounty on his head didn't matter – Sasuke didn't even know if Itachi really had a price for his head. But he was sure of one thing and one thing only –

His brother _needed _to die.

**...**

Once his eyes opened, all he could see was white.

"Sasuke-kun..." Someone called his name. Struggling to move, Sasuke forced his eyes to the caller to see who was addressing him. "You're finally awake."

When his eyes adjusted to the light, allowing him to clearly see his surroundings, Sasuke could see a familiar shade of pink hair hovering right above his own. His first instinct was to jump and run away, or to simply tell her off, but his limbs were screaming pain.

"W-What am I…doing here?"

Her eyes told the story. "From what Ino-chan told me, you guys had this A-class mission and were fighting off some nins that had been after the scroll as well. You trailed off and well…they found you and Hinata-chan in some clearing, barely breathing –"

"…Is…is Hyuga alive?"

_Her suspicions were right. _Sakura thought bitterly, taking a deep breath to stop the tears from pricking her eyes. She had enough crying for worry over his well-being, and showing weakness in front of Sasuke was not the best option as of the moment.

"I…" Sakura stopped, unable to find the right words. "I'm…I'm not sure. Tsunade-sama and I have done all we can, but her organs wouldn't take in the medicine. Her chakra reserves are extremely low and is at a dangerous level, but Naruto-kun managed to give some of his for the sake of keeping her alive."

"I didn't…understand…any shit you s-said." He growled in reply.

"…S-She's…she's in a coma. And I don't know when she's waking up."

**…**

It was against all facts for Sasuke Uchiha to think about others before himself. It was in his cold stature – to mind his own business without caring for anyone else. Although the last phrase was therefore proved by an untimely confession – which triggered something inside of him – Sasuke had never put his thoughts aside for anyone else. It was in his nature.

But again, those factual statements could always be proven wrong. Anything could. Especially with his current display of utter concern towards Hinata Hyuga.

"Hey." He flinched at his cold intonation, looking at her spent form. "Hyuga. Wake up."

It was against all odds for him to be pleading.

Sasuke grumbled, feeling foolish to even try it. He affixed the needle onto his arm again, feeling his body weaken without its source of sodium chloride. The dextrose was truly irritating, but he needed it. "Hyuga…fuck, this is stupid…Hyu-Hinata. Kami-sama, Hinata, wake up!"

"Talking to her won't bring her back."

Angry and humiliated, the Avenger whirled around on his heel and glared at Kiba. The Dog-boy had always been where Hinata was and would not leave her side – not that he knew…or anything. It was merely an assumption. "Shut up."

Kiba strolled towards her bed and stroked her midnight blue hair. His eyes portrayed apprehension, friendship and even the slightest hint beyond that. Since they had been in the Academy, her teammate had not been very keen on hiding his already-obvious infatuation with the girl. Only she, to his disappointment, didn't notice a single bit of it.

"What are you doing out of bed, Uchiha?"

Sasuke hissed, "None of your business."

"If I remember correctly, you got injured in the fight as well."

Suddenly, a flashback of the scene replayed in his head. The skilled ninja whom he had fought, the cause of Hinata's coma, and the way he unmercifully exerted too much effort in his jutsus to kill Itachi. Yet, as always, his attempts to avenge him clan seemed useless, as his brother had managed to leave without a single scratch. "Shut up. You don't understand."

"You think I don't?" Kiba angrily replied, removing his hand from her silken hair. "Do you even understand the gravity of this situation? She's practically dying, Uchiha, and you don't fucking care!"

"Don't tell me how I feel about her!"

"Oh, so _now_ you feel something? Now you want to look at her, after the hell you'd put her through?"

That last comment went too far. Before he knew it, Kiba found himself pinned onto the wall, a fuming Uchiha threateningly clutching his throat, Sharingan fully activated. "I told you. You_ don't_ understand."

"Fuck off, Uchiha! There's nothing to understand!" the brown-haired boy yelled, shielding his eyes from view. "You…How dare you even come near her. You…you don't deserve her…not one bit. She's been through hell…when she was in love with Naruto and he brushed her off like shit… Hinata-chan came back…but then you put her back there again...And I... I…I heard your conversation with her before."

"What?"

Suddenly, he laughed sarcastically. "The time you told her you _cared_. You're a lying bastard, you know? You don't care about anyone but yourself – especially not Hinata-chan –"

"Shut the fuck up, Inuzuka!" Sasuke screamed, throwing Kiba onto the cold floor, watching as he glared back at him. No words were exchanged as they simply stared at each other with nothing but mortifying hatred. In an instant, Kiba stood up as Akamaru barked from outside, turning around to leave.

But not before saying, "She doesn't really love you, Uchiha."

And that probably triggered the boiling fury building inside of the last Uchiha. Before painstakingly removing the dextrose from his arm, Sasuke roared out a battle cry and took out a kunai from his pouch and was ready to slit Kiba's throat, when a soft voice, something comparable to a mouse, stopped him.

"N-N-No…S-Sasuke-k-k-kun…"

Kiba ignored the threat and ran towards her side. She was obviously still sleeping, yet her eyes were shut tight and her fists were clenching and unclenching simultaneously. It seemed as if she was having a difficult time to wake up.

"Hinata…Hinata-chan, wake up please."

Kiba exchanged words, only receiving miniscule results from actions. Sasuke slowly blinked and walked towards her, bending to her head-level and gulping in the damned lump in his throat. He swore his pride could be the death of him.

"Hyug-Hinata…come back. Damnit...I…I need you."

Her eyes suddenly shot open as she tried to steady her uneven breathing. Kiba Inuzuka and Sasuke Uchiha had never been more speechless.

* * *

**Meiwa Says:** Honestly, I think I lost the plot somewhere in the middle of all that. Let's just pretend Akamaru's isn't allowed in the room because of his...size.

**tatoo26:** Thanks! I hope this is equally-awesome. Lol. But it looks like Sasuke's shell is slowly cracking heh? Haha. We'll wait and see for the last chapter!

**fat cherries:** Oh, you really think so? Cool. I was worrying about that too. Lol, Sasuke really is stupid when it comes to matters of the heart! But let's wait and see, shall we? ;)

**Phoeliz:** Lol. Haha, now that I think about it, it's pretty strange to stumble across the wrong pairing, but I'm glad you did! And don't worry about the spelling/grammar mistakes. I'm going to have a beta sooner or later! I guess my eye isn't that good anymore, lol! As for the time thingy, yea...there is some things bothering me about it. Maybe I'll check on it later! Actually, your constructive criticism is very helpful. Thanks a lot for dropping by, hope you find this chapter alright!

**evilbananalol:** Lol! Yes, Sasuke made one of the worst mistakes ever! *throws tomatoes at his head* Nah, just kidding. Sasuke-kun is too hot for that! Lol. Anyways, thanks for the review! Hehe. A jealous Sasuke is a cute Sasuke.

**lover9:** Haha! True, true. Thanks for the review and compliment! I don't think I deserve such praise. Hope you like this, too!

So thanks for the reviews guys! Honestly, each review makes one author happy. :) Constructive criticism is very much accepted and appreciated. Flames...meh, whatever.

**SHUKUKEN- Palm Heel Strike.**


	6. I Love You: Finale

**Meiwa Says: **So here is the last installment for Mittsu no Kotoba! I hope you enjoyed reading the chapters as much as I loved writing them. It's been a short trip, but exciting and fun nonetheless.

_Note(s): Strangely enough, this chapter is shorter than the last_. _Once again, I skipped the time (giving a little more space to your imagination) to a week.__ I hope, Phoeliz, that I didn't get the time wrong here again, lol. This chapter isn't any more special than the rest. It's pretty much plain, filled with OOC-ness and fluff...or what I believe it to be. Hope you still enjoy reading, nonetheless!_

**Warning(s): Total OOC-ness, slight cursing and complete randomness.**

**Dedication:** I would love to dedicate this last chapter to the following: **evilbananalol, fat cherries, lover9, Phoeliz and tatoo26** for being consistent reviewers throughout this story. Thanks so much to those who thought of this worthy enough to be in their favorites/alert's list.

**Disclaimer: **I don't claim what is not mine.

* * *

**Mittsu no Kotoba-The Finale: I Love You.  
**_Meiwa Chinmoku._

She had been looking all over Konoha for the familiar boy, her eyes dead-set on _him_ and _him_ only. But with the crowds and masses of citizens, such task could be easier said than done.

"Excuse me…Pardon me…I'm so sorry!" Were her usual replies of agony as she politely pushed through the crowds, hoping to get to the Uchiha compound before he left for another mission. Hinata had asked the Rookie Nine if they knew of his whereabouts – and they merely smiled at her and shrugged their shoulders. Tsunade then told her that Sasuke was about to leave for a three-day mission in Suna, and had been preparing his necessities at home.

Hinata _needed_ to talk to him. Not want, not wish, but _need_. Ever since the day one week ago, when she had meticulously woken up due to his...words, he had been ignoring her at all costs. She didn't know if his pride was the cause of it all.

Tired and frustrated, Hinata bent down on her knees for a quick gasp of air. Sakura had warned her not to exert too much effort in training or the like, because her wounds had not fully recovered.

Suddenly, a well-known flock of black hair appeared amongst the crowds. She realized that the chances of this being Sasuke were high – what with his unique, duck-style hairdo. Taking another deep lungful of air and focusing chakra on her feet, she pounced towards one of the rooftops and followed his quick pace. He, as well, was bolting towards an unknown place, and it worried her that it might just be the Konoha gates.

"Uchiha-san, Uchiha-san!" she yelled, or tried to, hoping that he'd turn around even for just a millisecond. "Uchiha-san, please, I need to speak with you!"

And yet, he didn't notice her presence.

Finally, she gave up and ran down the building, feeling her chakra decrease tenfold. She needed to be careful with her exertion, she thought.

Maybe it could wait. Maybe…he needed time as well. Or maybe she was just not meant to talk to him…as if it were against their destinies.

The last word she thought suddenly brought her out of her trance. She never believed in destinies – after learning from her once-harsh cousin that fate could very well ruin a person's life; she had looked down upon the idea.

Defeated and exhausted, the Hyuga heiress turned on her heel, until a hand caught her shoulder. "Hyuga, wait."

Her eyes couldn't be any wider. "U-Uchiha-san," she stuttered, cursing herself. "I thought…I thought you left."

"No. I was bothered." She opened her mouth to apologize, but he continued nonetheless. "I need to talk to you."

…

Judging the position of the sun, it was already half past four.

She found herself lost in the woods following a brooding Sasuke who claimed that he wished to speak to her. The trip was quiet, not necessarily uncomfortable, but pleasant to Hinata. She wondered if he thought the same.

He stopped walking and leaned towards a tree, pulling the stray kunai embedded into it. Hinata knew this place, had been to this place and even…fought Sasuke Uchiha at this place.

"Hn, sit." He commanded, gesturing towards the grass. Squeaking at his tone, she complied. "Why were you looking for me?"

Hinata's face reddened. "I um…hoped to speak with you…about what happened one week ago."

"Oh?"

"…Y-Yes."

"Speak up."

The heiress took one deep breath and avoided eye contact. She didn't want her walls crumbling in front of him – no, she had practiced far too long for this confrontation and she wasn't going to lose it just because of his _attractive_ smirks and _witty_ comebacks.

"I…I believe you're sending mixed signals, Uchiha-san."

"Sasuke."

"…Sasuke-san." Hinata repeated, ungracefully tugging at the grass underneath her. "You've been quite confusing…you tell me that you hate me, then you mention you've always cared. I…I…I confess to you," At this point, tears had started to leak from her eyelids. "And you say nothing but sorry…then…then you tell me you _need me_!" her voice echoed the complete frustration and confusion she had faced for the past few years in his presence. "I can't… I can never understand you…"

A little alarmed at her outburst, Sasuke merely shrugged his shoulders, trying to look nonchalant but was slowly failing at his disguise. "I was honest."

"…So what _do_ you feel about me? Do you hate me, care about me, need me or what?"

He took a step towards her. "I hate you…I hate you for having what I want, and not wanting it. You have a family, Hyuga and you hate them. Have you ever realized how much Dobe and I want it?"

Her voice shook as she spoke, "N-N-No…" she never thought that her pain could be regarded as selfishness. But it was.

"I hate you for the wrong reasons." Sasuke replied. Setting a bit of his pride aside, he took another step and confessed, "And I have always cared about you…ever since you were the quiet Hyuga I met at the park." He watched her blush as he took another step, more tentative than the last two. "And I…I ahem…I was sorry because I could not reciprocate the feelings at that time."

Her mouth hung open. "At…At that time?"

But Sasuke ignored Hinata's question and continued speaking. "I'm the Avenger. No one can ever understand the fact that I don't believe in love – especially of the opposite sex or of unrelated blood.

"And I said I need you…because, _Hinata_, I do."

Much to his chagrin, Hinata let her tears freely stream down her face. He wasn't sure if it had been due to his blunt speech, confusion, frustration or all of the above.

He could bet choice D.

Then she asked. It was merely one word, but it spoke many volumes. "Why?"

"What?"

Hinata's voice quivered. "What…what do you really feel about me, Uchiha-Sasuke-san? It's impossible to feel…so many contradictory things towards me…"

"…You still don't get it, do you?"

"I…Iie…"

And for once in his life, Sasuke Uchiha laughed at her naivety, finding it rather endearing for someone so intelligent to be clueless with matters of the heart. Although, it would be the biggest lie of the century if one would say that Sasuke was any better.

She had never heard him laugh. _Ever_. His mouth was always contorted to a frown, a scowl or a mixture of both. Hinata remembered wondering to herself if it was plastered onto his face because he wore the same expression all the time. But now, as the corners of his lips twitched up for a smile, the heiress knew that even the stoic, dark Uchiha had feelings.

Feelings she _hoped_ she could understand.

"I hate you…yet I care for you. I… reject you…yet I need you," he spoke, narrating the events after his brief display of sentiments. "Can you still not understand what all this _crap_ means?"

"…S-Sasuke-san…you are very difficult to read." Hinata answered back, biting her lower lip and the tip of her index finger in genuine confusion.

"In truth…the one I feel the most is hate."

Was that supposed to make her understand, or make her feel better in any way at all? "I…"

"I hate you…because of what you've done to me. You, Hinata Hyuga, have put an emotion in me that is quite useless and very unattainable to Uchihas.

"I feel all those crappy things for you…because I…fucking _love you_."

**…**

"Hinata-sama," Neji spoke with worry clear in his intonation. "I was worried about you. Hiashi-sama and Hanabi-san as well. Where have you been?"

With closer inspection, he could see she was in a momentary daze. "I was…in town…"

"Honestly?"

"…In the forest…"

The older Hyuga sighed, running a hand through his thick mahogany hair. "Hinata-sama, you know very well that your father seeks your presence at precisely five in the afternoon. It is terribly out of character for you to be late for your training."

"Sorry, nii-san," Hinata sighed dreamily, her voice softer than usual. "I'll go to father…and apologize."

He feared to ask the question, but was even more fearful of Hiashi's reaction if his suspicions _were _true. "Hinata-sama…are you alright? You seem a little…intoxicated."

She giggled, swatting a hand playfully at him. "Oh, nii-san, you're so funny! You know I'd be half-dead if I were drunk."

"That's true…however; you're looking a bit…lighthearted this afternoon. What were you doing in the forest, by the way?"

"I was…I was…" Hinata's eyes suddenly widened as her cheeks turned pink. "Meeting up with someone…"

Neji groaned, realizing that getting information out of Hinata at this state would be useless. She seemed to avoid his questions, but answer them nonetheless. He hoped that the damned Uchiha wasn't involved in any of this nonsense. "Alright. Hiashi-sama is waiting for you at the sitting room. It appears as if you have another training exercise for the upcoming ceremony."

"Alright, nii-san! See you laterrr…" Hinata said in a sing-song voice, fluttering away slowly, her smile growing.

Before she could enter the Hyuga mansion, Neji grabbed her arm and spun her around, looking intently at her eyes. "Yes, Neji-kuuun?"

"Hinata-sama…

"Why are your lips so bruised?"

* * *

**Meiwa Says: **Yes, you must hate me for the lack of SasuHina in the last part, but I couldn't resist! XD Alright. So I want you to imagine Hinata as a person who looks drunk due to undeniable happiness. If you don't understand the last part...well, excessive kissing may lead to certain situations...and that is what I have implied.

I won't reply to the reviews this time, but I really want to thank everyone nonetheless. Inspiration is the key to writing, and you've given me all that for the past month. You guys are all awesome! By the way, an epilogue might just come, but I can't promise anything.

Update: Oh my gosh, when I was looking at the story's traffic updates, I realized someone added Mittsu no Kotoba to a community! I would love to thank whoever took the effort and time to do so. You made my day! And also, I'm trying to work on an epilogue (sequel if I have time) but I can't assure the updates are as quick as they are now. Gomen! But I'll try to make a sequel (multi-chaptered) and I have a few ideas up in my mind. It'll probably come out late June or earlier. I can't promise any due dates.

**Date Published:** _02-04-11_.  
**Date Completed:** _03-02-11. _


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